Few years before, I became interested in Spanish wine especially Rioja wine because my first tasting of Spanish wine is Rioja red wine. Rioja has white and red wine, red wine mainly made with Tempranillo, this grape shows cherry, strawberry and plum characteristic and after barrel it shows tobacco aromas. The Spanish wine labels indicated Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, different between these terms are the wine aging time in oak and in bottle. For example, Reserva wine has spent at least 1 year in oak and 2 years in bottle before release. When we purchased the wine, we can enjoy it right away, doesn’t need to spend time to aging in wine cellar. I prefer Reserva wine because compare with Crianza, it has more layers and fruitier, fresher than Gran Reserva.
The other 2 terms
are: Crianza, wine has spent at least 6 months in oak and 18 months in bottle before release and Gran Reserva, wine has spent at least 18 months in oak and 5
years in bottle before release. Gran Reserva wine should only be made in finest
vintage. Besides that, Spanish wine also has an AOC system, it classified by Vino
de Pago (Wine from a signal estate), DOCa, DO, VCPRD, VdlT (Similar to France
Vine de Payes,) VdM (Table Wine),etc. As I see in HK, the most common is DOCa
and DO wine. Do (Denominación de Origen)
is roughly equivalent to France AOC, the wine need compliant local wine regulation
to become DO wine. DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) is highest level of
Spanish wine classification, similar to Italy DOCG wine. From now, it only has
two regions can compliant DOCa, which are Rioja and Priorat.
This time, I
tried a good value Rioja wine, it is Viña Eguia Reseva 2010. Rioja has separated
3 sub-regions Rioja Alta, Alavesa and Baja. This winery situated in Rioja
Alavesa, compare with the other 2 sub-regions, Alavesa is the northernmost side
and closest to Atlantic Ocean, that benefits a cooler climate. There is mountainous
with higher elevation and the soils are containing rich chalky clay and
limestone, where the best Tempranillo grapes are found. This wine mainly made
with Tempranillo and aged in American Oak and French Oak for 24 months and 2
years in cellars.
My Taste Note: I
decanted this wine for around an hour, shows Ruby Red with little purple color.
It has very attractive aromas such as red fruit, tobacco and licorice. First in
the mouth, the tannin was too strong, a little astringent but
30 minutes later, it getting better and smooth. This wine is dry, fruity and
crisp acidity. Overall, this wine provides basic Rioja wine characteristics and
style.
幾年前我已經開始喜歡飲西班牙葡萄酒,特別是來自Rioja(里奧哈), 能因為我第一次試飲的西班牙酒是Rioja的紅酒, 所以比較情有獨鍾. Rioja紅酒主要都是用Tempranillo(添帕尼優)來釀製,這種葡萄是帶有車厘子,士多啤利和西梅的特色, 經過木桶熟成後它會發出煙草的香氣.
西班牙葡萄酒的酒標上印有Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, 這3個不同的稱呼是代表釀成的葡萄酒在木桶和瓶裡陳年時間.
譬如Reserva的葡萄酒在推出之前,最少在木桶裡陳年1年和瓶裡2年才發售.當我們買了這枝Reserva, 其實都已經可以即時享用, 不用再放進酒櫃里陳年2-3年. 我個人比較喜歡Reserva, 因為味道是比Crianza有層次和比Gran Reseva清新和多一點果香.
另外兩個: Crianza, 葡萄酒在推出之前,最少在木桶裡陳年6個月和瓶裡18個月才發售和Gran Reserva,葡萄酒在推出之前, 最少在木桶裡陳年18個月和瓶裡5年才發售.Gran Reserva只會在好的年份才生產.
西班牙葡萄酒都有一套類似法國AOC法定產區的制度. 它們分為DOCa,
DO, VP(酒來自單一葡萄園), VCPRD, VdlT (類似法國的Vine
de Payes,) VdM (餐桌酒), 等等, 以我留意我覺得香港比較容易找到DOCa和DO的酒.
大致上Do等級(Denominación
de Origen)相等於法國的AOC等級,葡萄酒需要按照當地條例來釀製就可以成為DO酒. 西班牙酒最高等級是DOCa (Denominación
de Origen Calificada), 類似意大利的DOCG, 到現在只有兩個產區可以成為DOCa,這兩個是Rioja和Priorat, 而第一個成為DOCa是Rioja.
這次我試了一枝超值的Rioja紅酒, 這是Viña
Eguia Reseva 2010. Rioja內部分為三個產區Rioja Alta, Alavesa和Baja.
酒莊是位於Rioja Alavesa,對比另外兩個產區Alavesa是最北邊和最近大西洋, 可以得益到一個涼爽氣候. 這裡都是山區, 海拔比較高,泥土包括含有白堊的粘土和石灰石. Alavesa有這樣的環境和氣候是可以種出最好的Tempranillo. 這款酒主要都是用Tempranillo釀製,在美國和法國木桶內陳年24個月和2年在酒瓶內.
我的品酒筆記:我大約Decant了1小時,顏色有紅寶石色帶小小紫.它的香氣有紅色水果例如車厘子, 煙草和甘草. 剛剛飲的時候單寧比較強勁,有少少澀但是30分鐘之後,單 寧變得柔軟平滑, 口感上是Dry帶有Fruity味道, 適量的酸.整體這款酒能提供基本Rioja紅酒的特色和風格, 價錢不算太高而可以品嚐到Rioja質素的酒.
